Although an MLM company holds out those few top individual participants as evidence of how participation in the MLM could lead to success, the reality is that the MLM business model depends on the failure of the overwhelming majority of all other participants, through the injecting of money from their own pockets, so that it can become the revenue and profit of the MLM company, of which the MLM company shares only a small proportion of it to a few individuals at the very top of the MLM participant pyramid. Participants, other than the few individuals at the top, provide nothing more than their own financial loss for the company's own profit and the profit of the top few individual participants.[15]

Yes, you might want to learn the overview of it so you’re knowledgable and understand how your checks are getting formulated, but I’ve met too many successful networkers who can’t explain comp plans to spend any real time on them. When people ask questions, I refer them to the documentation that’s available and ask them if they’re ready to start a business they can work from home – even online in most cases.

Great listing and especially the honest look at what being in an MLM means. Direct sales is a hard business, especially if you’re not passionately using the product daily. You see too many people who join thinking it will be a get rich quick scheme and don’t actually care about the product or their customers. Genuine lasts and is successful, companies like Avon and Mary Kay have been around for generations because people love their products.

Rather than focusing solely on the technical aspects of how the best MLM leads are generated , we are able to dramatically improve overall conversion rates and quality of network marketing leads by adjusting the entire opt-in process through the eyes of your prospects. Our job is to understand what your prospects want and to help them get it. We believe technology and design should follow people, not the other way around.

The real selling point for MLMs is that distributors can make money in two different ways. The first is money made from commissions from direct selling to consumers. And the second way to make money with an MLM is from the commissions made from sales of distributors below you in the pyramid (these are sometimes referred to as recruits or downline distributors).

I found your article interesting. My wife and I have been involved with AdvoCare since November 2011. Even if I never make another dime in AdvoCare, I will continue to use the products because they have worked and continue to work for us. What I find interesting is the statistic that the majority – 99.7% in MLM actually “lose” money. What is the context of that statistic? That would mean A: the majority of MLM companies don’t have a buyback or return policy B: people that get started with MLM’s have to take on much more inventory that they are able to sell or C: this statistic is not accurate. I believe that C is the right answer. I do agree there are flaws in the MLM industry just as there are flaws in every industry. However, I believe that the MLM industry has made huge improvements in recent years and we do have a better way. People are the variable. When you have a great product, a passion and purpose that drives you everyday, are teachable and coachable, and love others as much as you love yourself, you can be successful in this business. Through the process of investing in your own personal development and learning to serve others, you are able to lead others to do the same. Thanks again. I look forward to reading more from you in the near future.
Hi JP. Good stuff all the way around, my man. Hey, I’ve been approached by Ariix, & didn’t know if have heard of them, and if so, a simple 👍 or 👎 will suffice, unless you’d like to elaborate, of course. One obvious concern I have is that (& can disclose this, since it’s of public record/knowledge per the list above), the current leadership in place at Ariix all came from USANA, and given the FBI/SEC became involved with USANA in ‘07, & Ariix opened in ‘11, well….I think you know from where I’m coming as it relates to anything you may be able to convey. Thx again, JP, for all of your efforts, & if you’d feel more comfortable in emailing me, obviously that would be perfectly fine! And apologies on this extremely verbose message!😳
The prospect of working from home is becoming increasingly popular. According to The New York Times, a recent Gallup poll reports 43 percent of employees work remotely some of the time. Of those, the number working from home four to five days per week has jumped to 31 percent. Modern workers seem to be embracing the flexibility of working remotely, so it’s not surprising that multi-level marketing companies (MLMs) are “poised for explosive growth,” Forbes predicts.

Multi-level marketing (MLM), also called pyramid selling,[1][2] network marketing,[2][3] and referral marketing,[4] is a marketing strategy for the sale of products or services where the revenue of the MLM company is derived from a non-salaried workforce selling the company's products/services, while the earnings of the participants are derived from a pyramid-shaped or binary compensation commission system.

I joined in the mid-90’s under a Dr that paid my way. We were somewhere in Paul Orberson’s dowline, below an AR kid making $80K+/month. I didn’t actually sign anyone as a rep, and just enjoyed doing the pitch to the crowd in the hotels, restaurants, and eventually auditoriums. I got paid by the Dr to tell the “long distance” story, and he went all the way to there top tier in under a year.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states: "Steer clear of multilevel marketing plans that pay commissions for recruiting new distributors. They're actually illegal pyramid schemes. Why is pyramiding dangerous? Because plans that pay commissions for recruiting new distributors inevitably collapse when no new distributors can be recruited. And when a plan collapses, most people—except perhaps those at the very top of the pyramid—end up empty-handed."[45]
(May 2017 update: did this go under?) The sign up cost will make you do a triple take (almost four figures), but you get to set your own retail price on every product you sell. If you’ve got the skills to make people cough up the cash for their products (which, btw, are pretty legit), you could definitely make that money back. They’ve also been winning plenty of awards (even a growth award from the Direct Selling Association themselves).
I thought this article was fantastic. I currently work with an MLM and love it, but I definitely can see why MLM’s would have flaws. However, I also know for me it wasn’t about selling as much as it was SHARING. I have experienced more than a product, I have been able to share the gift of health and the gift of the business itself. I absolutely love it and people who join me in this mission are as passionate as well! I believe when we look at really loving people where they are and actually caring, success will come and not the other way around. That’s the only way I’ve been able to see it happen! Any who, thanks for the tips!

QUALITY LEADS THAT ARE NEVER OVERSOLD: Responsive MLM Leads are essential for the growth of any network marketing/home based business. Many of our competitors resell leads innumerable times and render the leads unresponsive and worthless. Unlike our competitors, we pledge to sell our leads a maximum of 2 times to two different and absolutely unrelated businesses. In fact, our exclusive leads are sold just once!

The best thing that I can tell you from years of experience trying various companies is that there is no short cut. There are many MLM lead companies out there and several that purport to 'break the compensation structure' of MLM companies. But stop and ask yourself that if they were making so much money with this 'system' in a network marketing company... so much so that they broke the compensation structure... why are they spending so much time creating and marketing this system?

We are committed to providing quality prospects for your business at the highest level of reliability and integrity! Customer satisfaction is extremely important to us, which is why you can contact live support either by phone or online, whichever is more convenient to you. We are number one in customer satisfaction because we want you to succeed! It's as simple as that!

In an October 15, 2010 article, it was stated that documents of a MLM called Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing reveal that 30 percent of its representatives make no money and that 54 percent of the remaining 70 percent only make $93 a month, before costs. Fortune was under investigation by the Attorneys General of Texas, Kentucky, North Dakota, and North Carolina with Missouri, South Carolina, Illinois, and Florida following up complaints against the company.[39] The FTC eventually stated that Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing was a pyramid scheme and that checks totaling more than $3.7 million were being mailed to the victims.[40]

Most prospective clients are going to be found online because they are searching for related information and will make the purchase right away. These are the prospects that should be the main focus of any campaign that is being set-up by yourself in order to garner interest. The online world is where the most accessible market is and you are able to work 24/7 without even having to sit on the computer physically.
In an October 15, 2010 article, it was stated that documents of a MLM called Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing reveal that 30 percent of its representatives make no money and that 54 percent of the remaining 70 percent only make $93 a month, before costs. Fortune was under investigation by the Attorneys General of Texas, Kentucky, North Dakota, and North Carolina with Missouri, South Carolina, Illinois, and Florida following up complaints against the company.[39] The FTC eventually stated that Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing was a pyramid scheme and that checks totaling more than $3.7 million were being mailed to the victims.[40]
Great article and you nailed it regarding purchasing leads. I tried a few times talking with various people over the phone but none committed. I often wonder how the greats like Dexter Yager and Bill Britt (both amway reps) built their businesses to such a large magnitude without the use of social media. I certainly believe social media has made building network marketing businesses much easier than back in the day.

It is essential to go with an option that is going to deliver these kind of results. This is why the best network marketing leads are often found by just handing out flyers because most people will already have heard of the product/service and are willing to make the purchase right away. Just get the word out and start spreading those flyers and business cards in town. You will be surprised as to how many people are interested in these products/services and are willing to spend money on them.

I’m torn. I use Rodan+Fields but never considered being a distributor. Then a friend of mine introduced me to Jeunesse and got me fired up to be part of his team. I said “yes”. But now I’m wondering if the company is right for me because a) I read some negative stuff online about the company, the products, lawsuits, however the team is amazing! b) I actually really like what R+F has done for my skin therefore I feel I connect with the company more.

People generally tend to prefer either the unilevel or the binary compensation plans. But, the breakaway compensation plan also has benefits of its own. With the breakaway compensation plan, creating breakaway legs offers more of an opportunity to build passive income. Ultimately, which compensation plan is best is up to where you think your strengths will help you excel most.

Hi Jeremy great article. Here’s my take for what it is worth,after working 50 years for the bank making not so much money,having to accommodate there time schedule ,negotiated vacations and seeing very few people advance to 6 figure incomes,I’m somewhat intrigued by the idea of using my retirement years looking at mlm as a part time endeavour . Obviously I put a lot of blood sweat and tears into my previous job,so I’m not expecting to make my millions in a couple years in mlm, but I like the (do it in your own time) idea. If I find a product I like and would use anyway why not? I also like the idea that the potential is there biased on your own efforts. Am I wrong What do you think?

Actually, it really doesnt matter when you join a company. It all depends on the person deciding to jump in and work it as a real business. That means sharing your love of the products and showing up daily. You are compensated for your efforts if you should decide to build a team. You inspire, motivate, and lead others while working on your own business. In my experience, it’s extremely rewarding to know you have a opportunity or as i see it as a gift that is going to help someone.

Thinking about quitting your job and starting your very own home-based business? Great! Thinking about how you’re going to go about taking on this big venture? Hmmm… That’s a really great question, right? You can either take control of your life today and start doing what it takes to make this dream come true, or you can keep dreaming, it’s up to you. If you choose to take control, take the first step by choosing one of our many Lists so you can start to reach out to those who can help you reach your goals.

Writing MLM-specific articles is another great way of establishing authority inside of MLM. When people type in a search term or phrase on a specific MLM topic, and an article appears with the networkers name as the author, if the article answers a specific question, and is not just a spam piece, then the reader will visit the site to learn more about the author.
Prequalified prospects, sales referrals, or genealogy lists, whatever name is used, MLM leads are the lifeblood of any MLM (multi-level marketing) business, and without a continuous supply, the network marketing distributor will go broke and have to close down their MLM business. The question most networkers ask is “where do I get the best possible MLM leads for little or no money?” Are they generated on the internet, bought from an MLM lead-generation company, worked in the local market or found among friends and family? The answer is easier than it may seem; all of the above.

A downline distributor is a recruited distributor from whom the sponsor (the one who recruited them) gains commissions. Every compensation plan involves recruiting other distributors to help sell the company’s product. Some compensation plans provide higher commissions for recruiting successful distributors (quality over quantity). Other plans only focus on simply hiring more distributors (quantity over quality). Overall, downline distributors help sponsors gain extra commissions.

I appreciate this comment. I’m a doTERRA gal. When I signed up I said I’d never sell. I just wanted to buy and use the oils. Then because of my love for them, people started coming to me for education and asking where they could get oils. So now I sell them. I’m not a sales person. I can’t bug my friends about stuff. But I’m growing this business because I truly believe in the products and use them every single day. I may not ever become rich from this and that’s OK with me. I won’t consider it a failure. Every person I help is a success in my book!
It is almost impossible to stop the industry because of the amount of investors and lobbyists who are profiting from them. “During the Obama administration, the Federal Trade Commission made its biggest-ever effort to curb this industry when last summer it slapped nutritional supplement–seller Herbalife with a $200 million fine and, as part of a settlement with Herbalife, demanded it restructure its business so that it would “start operating legitimately,” as FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez put it.” (Slate) The current administration under President Donald Trump will be a completely different story and may very well be a boon for the MLM industry. Let’s start with Trump himself. In 2009, he licensed his name to an MLM, which eventually went bankrupt, along with many of his participants. Many in Trump’s cabinet have strong ties to MLMs as well: Betsey DeVos (whose husband is the president of Amway — by the way, DeVos family has donated $200 million to the Republican party over the years), Ben Carson, Carl Icahn (a billionaire who is also a major investor in Herbalife and holds five board seats at the company), and Charles Herbster.

I purchased yalls program. Going through the modules a second time. I have to focus on using Twitter platform not FakeBook who doesn’t like my business apparently. Wasted $15k in 2017 and they put me in FakeBook Jail. For what? Who knows. They have robots for employees not real people. Anyways done with my rant. The modules are great. Very well laid out.

This is one of the best ways of just getting out there and into the ears of people who will end up being prospective clients. Everyone should be your target and just getting the word out should drag in quite a few leads, if the product/service is good enough. This is why the first goal should always be to find the kind of product/service that is worth it.

The binary compensation plan has recently gained popularity because of its simplicity and the growth opportunities involved. Unfortunately, the plan has been so misused that it has been hit with many state and federal regulations. Government actions against such companies have been very public, resulting in bad press for the companies and a bad reputation for MLMs using the binary compensation plan.

I believe the ones that don’t make it in the industry (if they chose a good one) don’t give it enough time (like you said they quit before a year is up) and commitment to doing what it takes to grow. I don’t spam FB and only 2 family members order product but I have at least 100+ home school moms making >$2000/mth. Some team members make more, some less. It’s what they put into it (business wise not monetary)

Kathleen, you are right about the “direct sales” thing. They use it because MLM has the well-deserved bad connotation with pyramid schemes. I try to explain to people that true direct selling would be something like Ebay… there’s no inherent multi-level commissions implied by the term “direct sales.” It almost reminds of calling an illegal dog fight a “recreational gaming event.” It may be true, but is far from an accurate description.
We offer state-of-the-art lead generation to save you time and money by providing you with the highest quality leads for your unique business opportunity. If you're looking for quality leads, we make the highest quality available to you! We have all of our bases covered so that you can work on building up your Network Marketing, Home Based Business, or Business opportunity with ease.

Facebook used to be an easy source to tap into, but since they have formed a public company with shareholders who need to be kept happy, Facebook have changed their Terms of Service several times recently and have clamped down on a number of things that used to make lead generation relatively easy. They have discouraged siphoning off clients to external web sites and CPA offers, and have raised the cost of advertisements that do this. It remains a viable lead source however.

Breaking into the world of travel bloggers, hotel hoppers, and digital nomads with #wanderlust was one of the best ideas MLM ever had. Everyone out there wants to work remotely nowadays, and a huge portion of those people want to do it so that they can travel. So, a remote income opportunity with a travel MLM just makes sense. WorldVentures is hitting this niche hard, having been named one of the Inc. 5000’s fastest growing companies twice in a row.

My network marketing Leads are the best way to follow the golden proverb that somebody must have dropped coming down the mountain, because when it fell, it hit so hard that everyone doesn’t think twice about it just being plan common sense. And I don’t know why it isn’t folded into every California cookie because it is the best way to gain a fortune. This proverb that needs much repeating is “Work smarter, not harder.”

There are many benefits that are associated with hiring lead generation for a Business Opportunity Leads business. This is a professional service provided by experienced individuals who have been trained in lead generation for years. Having a strong foundation in lead generation and high quality results ensures that clients will have access to more reliable leads.

In an October 15, 2010 article, it was stated that documents of a MLM called Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing reveal that 30 percent of its representatives make no money and that 54 percent of the remaining 70 percent only make $93 a month, before costs. Fortune was under investigation by the Attorneys General of Texas, Kentucky, North Dakota, and North Carolina with Missouri, South Carolina, Illinois, and Florida following up complaints against the company.[39] The FTC eventually stated that Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing was a pyramid scheme and that checks totaling more than $3.7 million were being mailed to the victims.[40]

I think when you made comments about a company you should have kept them neutral or not only commented part of a story. Ambit did have a lawsuit, but it also has several JD Power awards, A+BBB, and many other accolades. I don’t know details of the suit, it may have been 100% justified, but I do know lawsuits are not always justified. Sometimes people are looking to make a buck